It’s been very wet here on the Oxford floodplain. Above average rainfall for the start of the year is falling on already saturated ground, due to the wet end to 2023. The latest published data from the Radcliffe Meteorological station shows 117.2 mm rainfall in December, significantly up on the long-term average.

Hydros need water to operate – but you can have too much of a good thing. Once the river system gets full, the water height in the weir pool downstream from the hydro rises. This results in the drop or ‘head height’ from the top to the bottom of the hydro shrinking. In extreme conditions, the end of the hydro can become submerged, and generation is curtailed.

In previous years, very wet winters have often then led to an extended spring operating period. Our automated system means that once conditions are suitable for generation the system automatically turns itself on.

West Oxford Community Renewables

West Oxford’s pioneering force in community-owned renewable energy generation